The present invention relates generally to brake apparatus for rail cars, and more specifically to truck mounted brake apparatus.
Truck mounted brakes throughout the railroad industry include either a double actuator system as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,507 or a single actuator system as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,400,874 and 5,495,921. In all three of these systems, the actuator rods extend through holes in the bolster of the truck. The primary and secondary beams are unitary cast iron beams. The beams are U-shaped having a vertical base and two horizontal walls extending therefrom. The actuator or actuators are mounted to the vertical base and the actuator rods are mounted and extend through openings also in the vertical base.
Another example of a truck mounted brake having a single actuator is illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,766,960 and 4,653,812. By moving the actuator rods outside of the center section, they pass under the bolster of the truck and no holes through the bolsters are required. The brake beams are shown as having a rolled steel center channel section with end sections having cast brake shoe heads and projecting guide feet bolted to the center section. As with the previous unitary beams, the channeled portion is generally U-shaped having a vertical base wall with two opposed horizontal walls extending therefrom.
There is a continuous drive to reduce the cost, size and weight of the truck mounted brake.
The present invention is a truck mounted rail brake including at least a primary beam having a center section and a pair of end sections with guide feet to be received in the slots of the truck. The center portion may include two opposed channel elements, each having a horizontal base and two vertical walls, joined by the fasteners or first weldments. The vertical walls of the opposed channeled elements may extend either from the base towards each other or away from each other. The first weldments are hollow and the bases include openings to the hollow of the first weldments. The cross-section of the end portions of at least one of the channeled elements are smaller than the cross-section of a center portion of the at least one channeled element.
A brake actuator is supported either by the end sections or the center section of the primary beam. The bases include a boss at the connection of the actuator to the center section.
The end sections are joined to the channeled elements by fasteners or weldments. A brake head is integral to each end section which is joined to the center section by fasteners or removably joined to the end section which is integral to the center section. This allows removal of the brake head without removing the brake beam.
A second brake beam may be included also having a center section with a pair of end sections including guide feet. The second beam also includes at least one channel member having a horizontal base and two vertical walls. Force transmitters, or rods, which extend from the actuator, are connected to the secondary beam at the center or end sections. The force transmitters may extend around the truck or through the truck.
A method of making a brake beam includes obtaining a first and second channeled elements having a base and two vertical walls extending from the base; separating an end portion of one of the vertical walls from the base of the first channeled element; removing a section of the end portion of the base adjacent the separated vertical wall; attaching the separated end portion of the vertical wall to the remaining end portion of the base; and joining the first and second channeled elements. With respective end sections which connect each end of the first element to the second channeled element. Each of the end sections are configured to receive a brake head. Both ends of one of the vertical walls or both ends of both vertical walls of the first channeled element are similarly processed. Also, one or both of the vertical walls of the second channeled element may be similarly processed. The attaching of the vertical wall to the base includes welding. The joining of the channeled elements includes welding a spacer or weldment between opposed bases. An end section, having a guide foot to be received in slots in a truck, is welded to the joined channeled elements. The first channeled element is shorter than the second channeled element. This accommodates the attachment of the end sections. A boss is attached on the base at a location of a connection of the actuator to the channeled elements.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.